The Health Secretary has given a go-ahead to the plans of closure of acute mental health beds at Medway Maritime Hospital. With the closure of the Gillingham hospital's A Block, patients will now have to be sent to Little Brook Hospital, Dartford or Priority House, Maidstone.

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust are of the view that 14 more beds would be required as a result of the move across three specialist centers.

Medway councilors have requested Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to take cognizance of the decision that leaves Medway with no acute mental health provision. The Health Secretary was referred the issue in August.

Conservative Wendy Purdy, who is lead councilor for Medway on Kent and Medway health overview and scrutiny committee, said she was highly concerned and frightened over the issue.

"There just isn't any support for carers when they can't get a bed for somebody that they desperately can't handle or cope with", she said.

Brian Clark, whose daughter has been an inpatient, is of the belief that the move will prove to be troublesome for the family members of patients as they will now have to unnecessarily travel much further to visit their loved ones.